Where None May Reach
by Magier74
Summary: After his fall from the Bifrost, Loki finds himself fighting in mind and body for his life and freedom as Thanos sets his plans to invade Midguard and capture the Tesseract in motion. Avengers and mythology AU. Main characters: Loki, Thanos, Thor, Sigyn, plus appearances by all Avengers, Frigga, and Odin.
1. Chapter 1

I own nothing and am simply messing with their lives for the fun of it :)

"There never can be a man so lost as one who is lost in the vast and intricate corridors of his own lonely mind, where none may reach and none may save. - Isaac Asimov, _Pebble in the Sky_.

**Chapter 1**

_The lone figure sat on the floor, slumped against a stuffed, but tidy bookcase. His head was tipped back in quiet contemplation, ebony locks spilling over his shoulders. He cared not that the heavy volumes poked into his back, it was a comforting reminder that what he treasured most was still within his reach. It was hard to believe that he had once ruled this domain, a vast frontier of unending possibilities and creativity, bursting with an unbridled love for life and adventure. He had walked the corridors of this fortress for the whole of his existence. Each nook and corner was cherished and precious, even more so now that he had so little left. _

_The God of Mischief lifted his head and regarded his surroundings. How pathetic that he had been reduced to such a dismal existence, forced to inhabit a small corner of his former glory. His eyes traced a path through the shimmering green of his own seiðr, mentally ticking off the paces to where it ended and a grayish purple mist began. The "fog of war" seemed an apt description. While this was nothing as glorious as the battles that Thor and his boorish friends boasted about so often, it was warfare none the less. _

_Heavy footsteps approached, and the young god sighed in resignation. So soon? The fog began to stir, currents of light erupting and swirling in chaotic eddies. Loki stood lithely to his feet and approached the boundary. He paced the border between green and gray as the fog lapped against his seiðr, probing it for any hint of weakness. His objective was the same as it had been every day since he had arrived at this hellhole - stand his ground. Admittedly, he had not done the most spectacular job so far, but at least he still had ground to hold. That meant he hadn't lost ... yet._

_"Godling!" The voice of Thanos boomed in a boisterous, yet false greeting. "What answer do you have for me today?"_

_"Have you not grown tired of asking questions to which you already know the answer?"Loki asked._

_"Your resistance tries my patience," the titan answered. "You are only delaying the inevitable and causing yourself pain."_

_"Shall we get on with this, then," Loki snapped in irritation. "I have a rather busy day planned."_

_"If you so wish," Thanos replied, lips stretching in to a cruel grin._

_Through the haze, Loki could see several bookshelves, much like the ones he now guarded. At one time, they too had been under his control. The contents of the tomes were not foreign to him - he knew every work intimately. Unfortunately, Thanos could now see them, and thus had begun the daily taunts. The titan ran a thick hand along the bindings of each work before seeming to settle on one and pulled it from the shelf. The large being sank into the cushions of a conjured, overstuffed arm chair and opened the book, causing Loki to snort at the image. The very idea of the God of Death settling down like he was a father reading a bedtime story to his son was ridiculous. The image also brought a pang of regret to the young god. Odin had taken great joy in telling him and Thor such grand stories when they were children, just one of the many things he had never appreciated about the man until recent events had put his life in perspective. _

_"I think we shall revisit a personal favorite of mine today," the titan said. He began to read, a soft glow lifting from the pages and filling the area with blurred images. Loki recognized them almost immediately._

_"No, not again," he whispered under his breath in dread, unsure if he could bear the pain of the memory once more._

_A broken Bifrost materialized around him, in full view, but not breaching the safety of his seiðr. Loki hung from its tattered remains as he remembered the moment, only his precarious grip on Gungnir keeping him from plunging to 'certain' death. _

_"I could have done it, Father! I could have done it! For you! For all of us!" Loki spoke the words to himself as the raw, festering emotion of the memory coursed through him._

_"No, Loki," Odin replied._

_The prince watched as his hand slipped from Gungnir. He still did not understand what had ultimately led him to let go. Yes, Odin had been disappointed in him. It had been etched into every line of the Allfather's face. However, Loki was no stranger to his father's - and yes, he could now call him father again - distress at his actions. Why was this time any different? Surely he had not wished for death. His memories of those days were turbulent, choked with emotion. What had began as a mere prank, designed to show Thor's inadequacy for the throne had escalated beyond his control. His father's rejection the final strike that had driven him completely into the madness that had been slowly consuming him. _

_"I do not understand why you remain loyal to one who is not even your blood ... to one who lied to you ... to one who let you fall," the titan taunted with mock empathy in his voice. _

_"He didn't let me fall," Loki replied softly. It was the only thing he could refute. The rest was truth. "I let go. There was nothing he could do to stop me."_

_"Has he or your so-called brother made any attempt to come for you ... to retrieve you?"_

_"They believe me dead." Loki chuckled without mirth. "How could they know I would survive the void?" He only wished that the fall had killed him, and not left him to a fate worse than death._

_"Redeem yourself in his eyes. Prove your worthiness to him," Thanos tempted. "Lead my army, retrieve the Tesseract, and I will give you the throne of Midguard, then Asguard. Odin and Thor will bow at your feet."_

_"The mad titan and his mad puppet king. We would make such a charming pair," Loki mocked, even though sense told him that provoking the eternal being was not the best course of action. "I am many things - the God of Mischief, the Liesmith, Silvertongue, Chaos, Trickster - but I am not and never will be a traitor. Even I have standards."_

_"And so your answer ..."_

_"Is still ... no," Loki answered with unwavering finality._

_The titan's face twisted into the rage that always rested below the surface of his otherwise calm and confident countenance. Loki realized that "story time" was over. His eyes slid shut and he began to gather his energies around him to support him in the coming battle._

_"So be it, then," Thanos murmured. "I do hope you scream again today ... Your Highness."_

* * *

Loki opened his eyes, pulling his attention briefly away from his conversation with Thanos. In some ways, his mind was a welcome retreat. Even though haunted by his memories, he had the illusion of comfort. His physical accommodations were much less hospitable. The cell was dark and frigid, echoing the loneliness of space. If not for his Jotun heritage, he would have succumbed to the bitter cold by now. The suffocating stench of sweat, blood, and his own filth filled the air, but he barely noticed anymore. The god had lost count of how many days had passed. He only knew that he longed for death with every fiber of his being. No general liked a two-front war and Loki waged battles both physically and mentally.

The door to his cell slammed open, and he suppressed the tremor than ran through his body. The one Loki knew only as "The Other", entered. "Good morning, Your Highness," the beast mocked, the words hissed out between jagged teeth. What looked like a smile twisted the creature's face as he flaunted the whip he held.

"Oh, a knout, and here I was hoping for something more original," Loki spat with false bravado. He was too well acquainted with this particular knout and its talented wielder. The creature delighted in brutality and was most assuredly looking forward to this.

"I am surprised you still find energy for such insolence," the Other growled. The other guards attached a chain to Loki's shackles and hoisted his hands up, securing them to the side of the wall. "Expect no mercy."

"I never do," Loki shot back, the words cut off as the first lash came down on his back and caused him to stumble on weakened legs. Without his arms to brace his body, his face smashed into the wall. He balanced himself to lean against the icy surface, stifling a whimper as the knout slapped against his flesh again.

"You have stopped healing yourself," the Other noted.

Loki didn't reply. He had made the decision days earlier. A part of him hoped that succumbing to his injuries would hasten his death. The truth was that his body was worn and his energy was replenishing more slowly. There were better uses for his limited seiðr.

The abuse continued, tearing at already raw and broken skin. Loki staggered under the next lashes. His legs gave out and he slumped, his shoulders jarring painfully as he hung from his shackles. There was no reprieve as strike after strike was rained down upon him, and he did finally scream. The Other's orders seemed to be very clear - to beat him unremittingly and weaken him to the point of unconsciousness. As his body approached the point of collapse, Loki closed his eyes and began to whisper his spell, the one for which he had reserved his energy, the one that would assure he maintained some degree of awareness, even as he lost consciousness.

"Heimdall, please see me," he whispered, as he body finally went slack against the chains. It was now time for the true battle to begin.

* * *

_The fog had become a tempest of swirling grays and flashing violet, battering the barrier Loki had created with his seiðr, the one thing that denied Thanos what he truly wanted - complete, unfettered access to and control of the young god's mind._

_"Heimdall cannot see you. No one is coming for you." Thanos gloated. "You are alone ... broken ... weak."_

_Loki could not deny it. His body was indeed broken - weak from loss of blood and lack of sustenance and water. The ability to fight Thanos mentally came at the expense of true, restful sleep and the blissful embrace of unconsciousness. Since he had forgone healing himself, pain was his constant companion, even as his body lay slack on the cell floor. _

_"I can heal you and make the pain stop," Thanos said with sudden, uncharacteristic gentleness - a ruse.  
"I can order your guards to feed you ... allow you to shower ... show you to a comfortable room. They will give you the treatment befitting a king."_

_The offer was more tempting every time. If fact, he didn't know how much longer he could sustain his current existence. He willed the barrier to hold against the tempest that was Thanos' mind, but how long could he last? Were Heimdall able to see him, his father would have rescued him by now. If not him, than Thor. Loki still remembered the scream of denial ripped from his brother's throat as he had fallen into the Abyss His mother ... Sigyn ... they would not rest if they knew he lived. But, no one knew he was here. No one had come. He was truly alone and time was his enemy._

_The momentary distraction cost him dearly. Loki's eyes widened in surprise as the fog advanced on his seiðr, the green energies retreating a pace or two. He glanced up in time to see the titan smile wickedly._

_"You are weak, Prince." Thanos chuckled as he approached the barrier between them and appreciatively ran a thick hand along newly exposed tomes, hovering over one that glowed a faint emerald. Loki choked back a sob. He had tried to so hard to keep Thanos from gaining control over any of his magic, yet there it was on the other side. It was minuscule amount of his core, only the ability to cast simple illusions, but the defeat was disheartening. "It appears I now have more of you. That will give us a new place to start tomorrow."_

_"Why stop now?" Loki challenged. "Like, you said, I am weak and vulnerable." The young god brushed his fingers across the bookcase behind him. The tomes safely stowed there began to burn with brilliant emerald flames, obviously the most powerful of his magic. _

_"Since you refuse to heal yourself, I can't risk damaging you too much. I need your body alive." The titan flashed a thin smile. "In time, I will have it all. Since you are unwilling, I will use you to lead my army."_

_Thanos turned and disappeared into the fog, leaving Loki alone in his own mind. The god crumbled to the ground and wept bitterly. Soon, his mind would fall and Thanos would have a powerful sorcerer as a puppet. He would become an empty shell, a weapon forced to destroy everything he had ever cared about. There was no escape. Unless ..._

_Loki sat up abruptly. What if he allowed Thanos to take control on his terms? The God of Mischief let out a delirious chuckle at the mad scheme forming in his thoughts - give Thanos control of all but the essential, using all of his remaining energy to protect what was most important. If he gave Thanos the minimum seiðr needed to find the Tesseract, but no more, the titan's focus would be away from him. They would no doubt leave this place, taking him to potential help, even to Asguard. Was he willing to become a prisoner in his own body, unable to go where he pleased, say what he wished, or offer any defense of his actions?_

_It was risky. He could lose everything. Then again, he would lose everything if all continued as it was. Loki turned and began to arrange what was left of his domain. His eyes slid shut in dread at the realization that he was about to be laid bare, all of his most personal thoughts and memories sacrificed and exposed to Thanos for him to twist and taunt. After carefully putting everything in order, he marked the ground, noting where he must stand firm. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Shirahoshi - Thanks for reading and for correcting me on spelling.**

**Anna - Thank you for reading**

**Chapter 2**

The_ scene was the small dining area in the chambers Loki shared with his wife, the place where they took their meals together when not gathering in the grand banquet hall with his family. Loki was already dressed in his armor, ready to take his place on the throne of Asgard for the day. Sigyn sat opposite him dressed in rose colored satin. Her long raven locks were pulled away from her face with two jeweled combs and woven into a thick braid that hung down her back. She looked like a queen, and had been for that moment. Sigyn delicately lifted fruit to her lips with a fork as she glanced up at her husband, discreetly studying him. Loki didn't make eye contact, the thoughts tumbling through his head causing him to push his food around his plate more than eat. Usually their meals had been animated times, filled with stories or chatter about magic, their shared passion. But on this morning, silence had stretched between them like a wall. _

_"You are very quiet, Husband." _

_"What have I done to earn your ire, that you call me 'Husband'?" Loki's voice sounded harsh, even though he hadn't meant to snap at her. Being referred to as "husband" usually meant he had wronged her and would be barred from their bed until he repented. "Silence suits me right now."_

_A gentle smile curved her lips. "I am simply confirming that you still want that position," she replied. "I have seen little of you the past days."_

_Loki looked up, catching a glimpse of concern in her bright blue eyes. "I am yours for as long as you will have me," he whispered softly, wondering if she sensed the insecurity behind the simple admission. The truth of his heritage was a gaping wound. He hadn't shared it with her yet, certain she would only see him as a Frost Giant and want no part in their marriage. "I apologize. My mind has been burdened. There is much to ruling a kingdom, especially with Thor banished and Father in the Odinsleep."_

_"You are more than capable of seeing Asgard through this time of need," Sigyn encouraged._

_"Thor's friends don't seem to think so," Loki spat. "They have already petitioned me to lift his banishment."_

_"And do you plan to?"she asked._

_"As I explained to them, my first act as king cannot be to undo Father's last act? Others doubt my ability to rule - how many more would if my first act as king was to go running to my older brother so he could return to Asgard and relieve me of the burden of the throne?"_

_"You will do a fine job, and then your father and all of Asgard will see that you are just as worthy of the throne as Thor." _

_Abruptly, Loki pushed away from the table, the chair toppling as he stood up. "The line of succession fell to me under highly unusual circumstances. Odin will never see me as worthy of the throne - at least not this throne." Loki's voice fell to a whisper as he approached the window. As he looked out over Asgard, the only home he had ever known, he wondered how long Odin had planned to seat him on the throne of Jotunheim - raised to be a king indeed. Questions still spun through his mind. His father said that circumstances had changed, but what did he mean? The only answers were trapped within the Odinsleep, perhaps never to wake._

_Loki was so lost in thought that he startled when Sigyn approached from behind and wrapped her slight arms around him. "Mischief," she said softly. "What else are you not telling me?"_

_Loki turned to face her. A lie quickly formed on his lips, but he pushed it away. She would find out eventually. "On Jotunheim, I was touched by a frost giant but not burned," he began. "I was curious and sought out the Casket. Odin found me there and revealed to me that he took me as a baby from Jotunheim. I am ... I am Laufey's son."_

_"Why would you jest, when times are already so difficult?"_

_"I only speak the truth," Loki admitted. Clasping her hands in his own, he looked into her eyes and willed her to see that he was not lying._

_Sigyn gazed at him for a moment, scrutinizing him. "You are telling the truth."_

_"I understand if you would like to be released from your vows," Loki said hurriedly. He held his breath as he waited for the answer, hoping for her acceptance and fearing her rejection._

_"And why would I chose that?"_

_"Word will get out ... you will be despised," Loki pointed out._

_"My reputation already suffers ... I am married to Mischief and Lies, but that matters not to me. I love you, and you know that well."_

_"And what of the fact that the only children I can give you will be half monsters ... like their father? Do you truly wish to bring a child into such a pitiful existence?"_

_Sigyn's breath caught, a hand dropping to brush along her abdomen. "How dare you." Her bright blue gaze, always full of warmth for him hardened, freezing to icy gray. Yes, he had angered her before, but never had he seen such fury in her eyes. _

_At that moment, he heard the Bifrost activated in the distance. Next, a loud knock rumbled the chamber doors. "Yes," he snapped as he flung the door open to the startled guards. Truly, their timing couldn't be worse. _

_"My liege, the Warriors Three and the Lady Sif have gone missing."_

_"Thank you. I will handle the matter myself," he replied, dismissing the guard. Loki turned back to his wife. "I will return later."_

_"You're going ... now?" Sigyn asked in disbelief, arms now wrapped protectively around her midsection._

_"I am truly sorry, Wife," he said sharply. She was not the only one who could express displeasure in titles. "Asgard's truce with Jotunheim is precarious and Heimdall has just betrayed me. As much as I was looking forward to it, I do not have time for an argument at this moment," he spat sarcastically._

_"Of course," Sigyn replied with a nod of her head. While her features calmed and her posture relaxed, the ice never left her gaze. Venom dripped from her voice as she continued to speak. "You have duties to attend to ... My King."_

_The vision froze as he turned to leave. Loki dropped his head in shame. He had never returned. By evening, he had fallen from the Bifrost and left her a widow. Had he known, there is so much he would have said, or rather, not said. It was sheer torture knowing this was the last memory they had of each other._

_"I did not realize your wife was so beautiful," Thanos said in a tone that made Loki shudder. He looked up to see the titan close to the frozen memory, stroking a finger down Sigyn's cheek._

_"Do not touch her," Loki warned._

_"Or what?" Thanos laughed, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Do you think The Goddess of Fidelity still mourns you? Perhaps when I inhabit your body, I could visit. Overjoyed at your return, would she suspect it wasn't truly you and invite the enemy into her bed?"_

_Thanos ghosted his fingers up her neck before his thick hands clamped down and snapped her neck. Loki slammed against the barrier raised by his __seiðr__, rage enveloping him._

_"What would that final betrayal feel like, to die at her husband's hand?_

Loki opened his eyes, shaking his head against the grotesque image that twisted his memory. Sullied hands reached up to wipe warm streams of tears from his face.

The door slammed open again, and the Other entered. Loki looked for the customary knout, only to see a slender stick. His eyes widened at the new device, wondering what the creature was playing at.

"We wouldn't want these sessions to become boring or predictable for you, now." Loki's hands were pulled up high again, right before the stick was driven into his back, releasing a jolt of electricity through his body. He nearly bit through his tongue at the shock, blood gushing from his mouth as he clenched his mouth shut and bid his body not tremor. The stick made contact again and his body spasmed, reminding him of the time he had inadvertently got between Mjonir and her target during battle. Mother said he had been fortunate to survive. He screamed out with the next strike, closing eyes in resignation. It was time.

_Loki glared at Thanos through the green haze of his __seiðr__. He knew the war was far from over, but it was time to concede this battle. With a deep breath and heavy heart, he stepped back to his mark and allowed his __seiðr__ to retreat to him, Thanos' haze eagerly eating up the space left behind. _

_"You belong to me, now," Thanos boasted. "We will conquer Midgard, and then Asgard, together."_

_"You will never have all of me," Loki replied_

_"We shall see."_

* * *

It was midday on Asgard, and the golden city gleamed in the distance. Frigga sat contentedly on the sofa in her daughter-in-law's chambers watching the young woman gaze out the balcony window. The past year had been hard on them all, but especially hard on the two women who had loved Loki most.

Frigga never would have guessed that her younger son would marry first. His courtship with Sigyn had seemed more like a game at first, and she highly suspected Loki's main goal had been to find his way into the young woman's bed, not marry her. However, had met his match and fallen for the young goddess, and Frigga couldn't have been happier.

"You seem lost in your thoughts, Dear," said, inviting her to speak what was on her mind.

Sigyn took a moment to respond, startling out of her ruminations. "I am sorry to be poor company. Here you were thoughtful enough to visit, and I have greeted you with silence."

"Nonsense," Frigga replied. "But if I might ask, what has so preoccupied your mind?"

"I at times wonder if it would have been different had I told him," Sigyn admitted.

Frigga glanced down into her arms, meeting the very sleepy gaze of her grandson. Eyelids fluttered down over deep green eyes that looked so much like Loki's only to dart back open quickly in panic. "Shhh," she soothed as she gently rocked the child.

"It was on the tip of my tongue when he left our chambers, but I was so angry," Sigyn continued. "Would it have been enough?"

"Those are the sorts of thoughts that could drive one mad if not careful, Child," Frigga admonished gently. A slight smile curved her lips at her grandson's eyelids finally closed completely. The child's breathing changed and his small body grew heavier in her arms. "And, he is finally asleep."

"Truly?" Sigyn asked in obvious relief.

"Yes."

"You are a worker of miracles."

"No, I simply have greater experience," Frigga replied. "Unfortunately for you, Nari has inherited his father's temperament. Loki was every bit as difficult as a baby." The goddess took a deep breath and reigned in the sorrow that threatened to erupt when she thought of the boy she had raised. "Now go put him in his crib so you can rest."

Sigyn gently leaned down and took her son into her arms. Humming lightly, she continued to rock the baby as she disappeared down the hallway.

Frigga leaned back, resting her head against overstuffed cushions. Nari was indeed a soothing balm to her soul after Loki's death, but she still missed her son. Her eyes drifted closed.

_Thick fog closed in around her. The swirling eddies twirled around, almost protesting her intrusion. Where was this place and why was she here? Frigga lifted her hand, a ball of golden seidr sprang from her fingertips and floated ahead of her to light her way. She paused to run a hand along the spines of heavy tomes on a book shelf. Her breath caught at the simple realization that she knew this place. She had been thinking of him._

_"Loki!" she called out as she quickened her pace. It couldn't be true, yet if the link that had formed when she had calmed his mind as a child still existed ... maybe._

_Frigga finally found her way into a corner room. Her heart broke as she glimpsed the dejected figured spared from darkness by his own green __seiðr__. "Loki?"_

_"Mother?" he asked in hopeful surprise. He acted wary as though he expected it to be a trick. Understanding, she allowed her __seiðr to flow over his so that he could__ sense her own magic. "It really is you," he murmured before panic over took him. "You can't stay. It's not safe."_

_"Where are you at?"_

_"I don't know," he admitted. "But, I need you to listen. Something terrible is coming, and I will be at the center of it."_

_"That usually happens," Frigga said. "Is this supposed to surprise me?"_

_"This is different, Mother," Loki said with a seriousness that didn't suit him. "I am under another's control."_

_"Who controls you?" she asked in outrage._

_"Thanos," Loki replied, and her heart sank. "He seeks the Tesseract and to lay ruin to Asgard."_

_"I will inform your father," Frigga said firmly. "And I will have Heimdall cast his sight to its limits to search for you."_

_"I'm afraid, Mother," Loki admitted shamefully. " It requires all my effort and energy to maintain this small quadrant of my mind. If he takes any more, I will be but a mindless shell. I would rather death come than ..."_

_"You must be strong," Frigga said. "Sigyn needs you ... she was with child .. you have a son."_

_"Son?"_

_" Nari is beautiful." Frigga could see the anguish in her son's face, before it morphed into quiet, calculated determination. With a nod of his head, his countenance changed, reminding her more of the Loki she knew and not the broken man she had glimpsed upon first entering the room._

_"Godling!" Thanos boomed in the background. "Time has come to fulfill your role."_

_"You must go, Mother," Loki said softly. "If he finds you here, he will use you against me."_

_"Stay strong." Frigga smiled as she pressed a hand against Loki's fortress. Golden __seið__r flowed from her fingertips, intertwining with Loki's and reinforcing him. "Know that you are loved."_

_"If something should happen," Loki said. "Tell Sigyn I love her and I am sorry."_

Frigga's eyelids fluttered open. Sigyn kneeled next to the sofa, resting a hand on her forehead. She could feel the young woman's _seiðr_ flowing over her.

"A vision?" Sigyn asked softly.

"No," Frigga replied. She hurriedly sat up and took Sigyn's hands in her own. "Loki's alive?"

"Are you well, My Queen?"

"He is alive"

"I don't understand." Sigyn put a trembling hand to her mouth. "Where is he?"

"He is being held captive." Frigga stood. "I must speak to Odin and Heimdall." She leaned over and rested a hand on the side of her daughter-in-law's face. "We will find him and bring him home," she said with firm conviction.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"The world will be his. The universe yours. And the humans, what can they do but burn?"

Dressed in armor similar to that worn at Thor's failed coronation, in near complete control of the trickster god's mind and body, Thanos accepted the scepter offered to him and prepared to open a portal to the human world.

_So this was it, Loki thought. Thanos would hide behind him as though he were a mask, using his knowledge of the Tesseract to rain down destruction on Midgard, and he would be a captive witness, forced to watch his unwilling participation in the quest._

_The portal seized him. It was unlike the Bifrost, unlike traveling the paths between realms, leaving him feeling more ripped apart from the inside out than traveling. His eyes opened, not by his control, but he did feel his heavy breaths and see smoke rising from his armor as though in a dream. The trip through the portal had weakened him and left him disoriented. Fortunately, he had chosen to heal the worst of his injuries before coming, something over which he at least still had control._

_"Do you feel it, Godling?" Thanos paced to stand in front of the captive god. " Isn't it magnificent?"_

_As Loki fought against the disorientation in his mind, he noticed that bright blue now bled into the storm that was Thanos. The Tesseract ... it was fortifying the titan's hold on his mind. The sorcerer could feel the increased strain against his fortress. Thankful his mother had added her seiðr to aid him, Loki fortified his defenses._

"Sir, please put down the spear!"

Thanos looked down at the scepter and smiled, his only warning before he attacked the mortals. His weapons were the scepter, throwing knives, and the young god's physical and mental abilities. Fortunately, Loki had kept control of most of his magic. But even without it, he was lethal. One of the soldiers, different than the others, approached, trying to pull a weapon. Thanos grabbed his arm.

"You have heart," Thanos murmured. The spear pressed to the man's chest and energy traveled up, darkening his eyes before turning them to a bright blue.

_The gem, Loki thought to himself. No wonder Thanos had been able to lay siege to his mind. The power of the Tesseract rattled his own seiðr, reminding him that were he any less of a sorcerer, his mind would now be conquered as well._

Thanos claimed other minds, before turning to a dark-skinned man attempting to flee with the Tesseract.

"Please don't. I still need that," Thanos called out to the retreating form.

"This doesn't have to get any messier," the man replied.

"Of course it does. I've come too far for anything else." _Thanos chuckled at Loki, a smirk twisting his facial features. _" I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose."

"Loki? Brother of Thor?" another man asked.

_"Even now they compare you to your brother," Thanos taunted. "But soon, your name will be known like his. You will prove you are as much a king as he is."_

"We have no quarrel with your people," the dark-skinned man stated.

"An ant has no quarrel with a boot," Thanos continued, using Loki's mind and sharp tongue to weave words in the verbal spar.

"You planning to step on us?"

"I come with glad tidings, of a world made free," Thanos boasted gloriously.

"Free from what?" the man asked.

"Freedom. Freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart..." The scepter claimed another mind, the man who had inquired about Thor. "You will know peace."

_Was this what his carefully crafted words were like? The lies sounded different from this vantage point ... meant to reassure and spoken in peace, when Loki knew that Thanos meant to bring death and destruction to this realm._

_And then they were off, running to flee the destruction brought on by the Tesseract. The humans pursued, but were no match for the scepter. As Loki stared out at the devastation through eyes he did not control, his only comfort was that there was no way Heimdall could not see this._

_"See me Heimdall," he whispered to himself. "See me Father."_

~.~.~.~.~. ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Sigyn exhaled slowly, finally taking the chance to stretch her shoulders. Mortals would likely asked why a civilization of near immortals needed healers. The answer to that question was probably best answered by the fact that something which could threaten the life of a god was truly dangerous. If only she could convince young warriors to stop hunting that which had long fangs and deadly venom. Then again, they were of Asgard, and that plea would undoubtedly fall on deaf ears and encourage them all the more in their perilous quests. Fortunately, the realm had several talented potion makers, and she was one of them, even if her attempts today would cast doubt on it. The elixir was complicated and required several transitions. Already, two attempts had ended in failure.

The sound of babbling drifted to her ears. Sigyn turned to check on her son, a smile curving her lips. The baby lay on several thick blankets on the ground resting on his belly. Nari lifted his head slightly and reached for a toy in front of him. Small hands clumsily bumped at it until the baby finally grabbed and dragged it toward his mouth, babbling all the louder in his excitement. Nari loved the sound of his own voice almost as much as his father did, Sigyn mused. The ache she had felt in her chest from when Frigga had told her that Loki lived, was back. It was a wonder she had proceeded even this far, potion making with her focus so shattered, but the elixir was needed.

Sigyn looked into the dark, churning mixture in the bowl. It was as restless as her own soul. She reached for the carefully measured herb, her last ingredient and began to crumble and sprinkle it before stirring the volatile blend. She whispered an incantation as she reached out and rested a finger on the surface of the liquid. Golden magic flowed from her finger, turning the potion to a perfect, bright crystal blue. She smiled as she bottled up the antidote and called a servant to carry it to the healing rooms.

As she began to clean up her workspace, she heard a loud knock at the door. Wiping her hands on a towel, she hurried to open it. Thor's imposing form filled the door frame. His face was chiseled and serious - it was not a social call. "Sister, may I come in."

Thor's grim expression lightened to an elated grin as Nari squealed in delight at his uncle's voice. Without permission, he burst into the chambers and scooped the baby up off the floor. "Nephew, you are awake," Thor beamed. "I think you are even bigger than when I saw you two days ago."

As Nari babbled at his uncle, Thor lifted the child up into the air and gave him a gentle toss upwards, earning more squeals and babyish giggles.

"Thor, no, not so high," Sigyn said sternly. "We have talked about this."

"But he enjoys it so," Thor said dejectedly as he sat down on the sofa, Nari still in his arms.

Sigyn stifled a laugh at the proud warrior, looking as though someone had stolen his favorite armor, then cringed as Nari blew bubbles out of his mouth and a string of drool oozed over Thor's vambrance. If he noticed, he said nothing, instead settling a determined gaze on her again.

"Heimdall found him?" Sigyn asked before he could speak.

"Yes," Thor answered. "He waged an attack on Midgard and took the Tesseract from the mortals that were holding it. I must go stop him and bring him home, but it is difficult with the Bifrost still damaged."

"The All-Father will send you?" Sigyn asked. She didn't want to think about what that sort of magic and energy would cost him.

"That is one choice," Thor replied. "However, there may be another. When I was banished to Midgard, Loki visited me." Thor hesitated for a moment. "What can you tell me of the secret paths?"

"I know a path to Midgard," Sigyn answered. "Loki and I have been several times together."

"Then you must tell me how to get there," Thor replied anxiously. "I will leave immediately."

"It is not that simple," Sigyn said softly. "The paths are complicated, with twist and turns. It takes one with knowledge or sorcery to safely navigate them."

"I see." Thor stood, placing Nari back onto his blankets. "I will tell my father to send me in his own way ..."

"I can take you," Sigyn said abruptly. "I want ... I need to go."

"Sigyn." Thor offered her a warm smile as he reached down and lightly clasped her hand. "Your place is here with Nari. I swear to you. I will bring Loki home."

Determined to have her way in the matter, Sigyn lifted her chin. "And what of our duty to Asgard?" she asked. Nobility ran through her blood, and her mother had groomed her for court. When required her presence could be quite commanding.

"Asgard?" Thor asked.

" Loki told the queen of the mad titan and his designs on Asgard. The All-Father's last Odinsleep was short and the dark energy required to send you to Midgard would weaken him terribly. What defense would Asgard have with you away should he be forced into the Odinsleep again?"

"There will be danger." Thor sighed deeply. "Loki would never forgive me if harm were to come to you."

" I have been around battle before," Sigyn pressed. "You may have need of a healer when you find him or need of a way back."

Sigyn stared down the thunder god, her next argument already forming in her mind. Thor looked away and laughed lightly. "You and my brother truly are a match," he murmured. "Make the preparations you need. I will convince my father to allow it."

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The last Loki was aware of, they had arrived at some sort of underground dwelling filled with Midgardian technology. The one called Selvig had seemed pleased, and the one called Barton had been efficient at gathering more followers. The dwelling had become a flurry of his bidding was being done, Thanos had allowed the weary body he controlled to rest. While Loki sought to conserve what energy he could, he did not dare succumb to sleep. Whispering the now familiar incantation, he had allowed a glimmer of awareness to remain, enough to ensure his fortress remained strong.

_The storm outside what was essentially his cell had calmed. Loki approached the perimeter, wondering what had caused the strain against his defenses to let up. His eyes finally opened again and he saw the Other seated on a throne, thousands of Chitauri warriors in the background. A projection, Loki realized, one that likely demanded much of Thanos' attention._

_As they spoke, Loki focused and began to push at the boundaries of his seiðr. Thanos and the Other were arguing now, meaning the titan was even more distracted. He might not have another opportunity to take back control. Pushing against the much calmer storm, Loki saw his boundaries expand, ever so slightly. He pushed again, progress coming to a screeching halt as the storm flared to life again, burning brightly with the glare of the Tesseract._

_"Do you think you can take back what I have conquered so easily?" Thanos asked._

_Loki denied him an answer, standing defiantly against the titan. Thanos sneered at him, approaching as close as he dared. "Know this. If you interfere and the Tesseract is kept from me, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where I can't find you. You think you know pain? That what you have been dealt is the worst? I will make you long for something as sweet as pain. Think on that, Godling." _


End file.
